Adversaries of the Light
by Eternal Contradiction
Summary: Vivian Vande Velde's Companions of the Night Ch8. Short snippets of life between Kerry and Michel while they are apart. 'Who do you think you are'
1. Picture

She stared at the piece of paper in her hand, letting the shining sun glint off the glaze and reflect into her eyes. She slapped the picture against her palm a few times as she paced at the foot of the driveway, debating. Within the neighbourhood stood the old and new, the supermarket she worked in rested beside an apartment building from the sixties. Then there was the sprawling Victorian, with green grass growing in mockery to the new era.

She'd been in that house once.

Finally with an exasperated sigh she pushed herself forward, wincing every time her sneakers padded against the asphalt of the driveway. She came in the daytime, knowing instinctively she would never be able to do this at night. At night, the old house would lose its regal charm and become menacing. She'd begin to wonder what scary things lurked behind its closed doors, peered through closed curtains. She'd also begin to wonder what other, not-so-scary things were watching, and dwell on the fact that he wouldn't be.

The driveway stretched and yawned before her. She scurried over the lawn, trying to dull her footsteps, but only managing to change them to shuffling grass. Kerry grabbed hold of the railing and ran up the stairs to the veranda. The ancient wood creaked beneath her feet.

Frightened, she stared around her for anyone who could have heard the racket she was making. She hadn't really taken into consideration she was trespassing on someone's private property, and when it hit her she also became paranoid of the police spotting her. Her heart rate accelerated. Another good reason to do this during the day.

The rusting mailbox screeched as she opened it. She winced and shoved the picture into the box. With eyes glued to the door, she backed up and hurried away from the house. Once back on the safety of the sidewalk, she turned to stare for a moment, naturally drawn back to the mysterious house as if it was a beacon to darkness. A breeze caught in her hair, and she breathed the frigid fall air, relishing in the slight release it gave from the sun, and the reminder that she was still alive. It had been exactly one year.

Turning her back, she walked away from Michel's supposed house, making her way to work. She left behind a small memento from her vacation with her family last summer. A picture of her, waving cheerfully to Ian as he took his first picture, the sun glinting off her hair, now rested in Michel's possession.

Just in case.

©RelenaFanel/10/2004 


	2. Bar

He glanced behind him, carefully eyeing the darkness with casual distrust and familiarity. His black hair brushed over his shoulders, slightly curling in a deliberately tussled bed-head look. The shadows spoke to him, hidden voices only the dead could hear. He could smell the essence of life pouring from a club entrance on his left. Hoping for a quick drink, he grabbed his wallet out of the pocket of his leather jacket, knowing from years of experience that he would need the proof of his legal age ready.

His youthful looks were the bane of his existence, but also an excellent strategy in his game of seduction and death.

People always saw what he presented on the surface.

Tonight, he had deliberately left his hair long and eyes their original color. Outwards, he was a striking young man, with a face that was nearly beautiful. His black locks framed and enhanced his beguiling blue eyes in an elegiac beauty poets had been writing about for ages. As he walked into the club, his amble was a graceful dance, calculatingly drawing the eyes to his lithe form and the leather pants riding low on his hips.

Michel was on the prowl.

Even those who knew anything about vampires looked at him and saw a vain young man, bronzed skin and a body like a god. It turned out that after he finished the boiled-lobster phase, his burned skin turned into a tanned healthy glow. He looked normal and harmless.

That was what he was counting on.

He made his way towards the bar, watching the wealth of females dancing on the floor. The room smelled of alcohol, sweat, blood and lust. Inhaling deeply, he let a feral smile cross his lips. In that moment he looked like the dangerous hunter he was. Pushing through the crowd, he mentally catalogued potential meals. Lately, more and more women were rating _maybe_s instead of _yes_.

He needed to stop being so picky.

Grabbing a stool at the bar, he once again flashed his ID before ordering a beer. He didn't really care what brand it was. It was only a prop anyway. His drink was served by a bartender who couldn't be much older than Christian, his new name according to his identification. Michel smirked his thanks before placing his elbows on the moderately clean bar and hunching over the bottle in a brooding pose.

He liked it much better when the unsuspecting happy-meals-with-feet came to him.

A man across the circular bar was trying to cajole a woman to come have a little fun with him in the back of his car. She was very coyly refusing him. Christian tipped his head to the side, sniffing the air subtly. She was HIV positive. Not a good meal prospect unless he wanted the joy of throwing it up later. Another patron gulped down vodka straight from the bottle. His eyes watered, but it didn't appear as if it was the alcohol. Michel could sense the heartbreak pouring off him and battled the urge to shift uncomfortably.

"Hi." The soft voice came from a blond woman in a diaphanous blue dress. She slicked the material over her hips as she slid onto the stool next to him. Subtly he surveyed her before replying. Fine body. Healthy blood. Good enough.

In reply he shifted his head briefly in her direction, getting ready to respond to her next statement. Instead, he found himself staring into brown eyes. His own eyes widened wildly as her lips formed an 'oh' of surprise.

Kerry.

He had been running from her memory, and here she was sitting next to him. The fragrant smell of her innocent blood, the taste of her lips and the feeling of her body against his flooded his brain. He knew it was only a memory, but for the life of him he couldn't function for what felt like minutes. Michel's blood sped up. Automatically, he placed an amused genial emotion on his face.

He turned completely in his seat, finally getting a good look at the woman next to him. To his disappointment her nose was too slender, and mouth too wide to be Kerry's. The expression in her eyes was pure female appreciation instead of recognition. Michel turned back to his drink, preparing to brood for real.

"What's wrong?" She asked, the local twang obvious in her voice as she placed a hand boldly on his back.

"You reminded me of someone." He replied, already dismissing her from his mind. She muttered something he didn't care to catch and moved to leave, brushing fleetingly against the sleeve of his jacket. "Wait. Can I buy you a drink?" He questioned, glancing at her with an apologetic friendly look on his face. He already decided he'd take her into his bed and screw her before taking her blood.

Maybe then he'd get a certain delectable sixteen year old out of his system for good.

Like he'd been trying to do every night for the past year.

©RelenaFanel2005


	3. Bayou

Author's Note. . . Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 1 and 2. I hope to keep this series going until the climatic end. If anyone wants to read a longer, almost bookish, Companions of the Night fanfiction, then please go read "Darkness of Companions". Now… have fun with Michel.

* * *

**Bayou**

This was the time of day he enjoyed best. The sun had already dipped low on the horizon, concealing herself from view like a lover sliding on a night coat after a rigorous day of passion, and yet tantalizingly showing fleeting glimpses of beauty. A few refracting beams of light, classically presented in sunset hues of red, purples and blue, were the only contact he had with natural light. If he timed it right after his awakening and before the sky donned a midnight gown, he could see the finality of the setting sun and feel the warmth radiating on his skin without a harsh burn. Usually, this phenomenon only lasted a moment at best, but ever since he was a fledgling, he lived for the brief reminder of his mortality beneath the daylight sky.

Somehow he had lost that burning urge to see the last moments of sunshine drip from the sky. He had become far too comfortable in the shadow-enriched ebony of the night. For how long, he mused, a glass of wine going unnoticed in his hand, had he thought of it as us and them. Vampires versus humans. Back in the beginning he had held on to the naïve notion that he could be both. He could be everything.

Then, for quite some time, he had assumed the tainted morality had toughened into a vampire with no connections or stakes in the human world besides where his next lunch was coming from and the various amusements he could derive from the human race.

Now, he wasn't so sure where he stood.

He had let some innocuous little girl get under his skin. At first, she was an amusement, but far too young for his tastes. He had decided in that Laundromat that he'd make sure she lived with no knowledge of what he was. He'd preserve that innocent little mind. Then, when she figured out his true identity, she became expendable. He'd have to kill her, but realized that this time he'd have a little fun while doing it. She'd go out with a bang or two.

He had no intention of letting her go.

Gulping down the glass of wine, he stared into the black night. Any evidence of the sun was gone and somehow he hadn't noticed it. When had he become so maudlin?

A nagging voice in the back of his head firmly gave him an answer.

Curling his lip, almost as much in disgust with himself as the fact it took a lot more than a little wine to get him drunk, he closed his hand tightly against the delicate crystal glass and relished the bite as the shards shattered into his skin. Opening his hand, he let the remnants of the wineglass slide from his grasp and fall five stories to the sidewalk below. Along with it dripped precious drops of his hard-earned blood.

Immediately the long gashes in his hand began congealing. From experience, he knew they would be healed within hours. Opening and closing his fist, he attempted to prolong the pain and bleeding.

What was a little more pain and suffering in his life?

He turned away from the balcony. The blessed sounds of the city, alive and raucous, even at night, were doing little to improve his temperament.

* * *

"Kerry! There's some tall-dark-n-handsome following us around." Nelle whispered urgently, a slight giggle belying the tension in her shoulders. Nelle always was, and would likely remain, a small-town girl. She didn't enjoy the crowds and clamor of other people forced to share a moment of life by being crushed in the same area. She didn't see the wonder of a total stranger taking the time from his day to stare at two beautiful girls.

"Maybe he'll mug us." Kerry replied, working an excited undertone into her voice. She knew without looking that Nelle had rolled her eyes. Kerry was seriously toiling at adapting to city life. She had already made up her mind to get lost amid the thousands of people, and to carve out her own little niche in this world. "There really isn't as much danger here as you see."

"Come on! New Orleans during tourist season… I'm sure there are tons of muggings and rapes every night. You just don't hear about them because the victims get dragged out to the bayou and become croc bait." Nelle stared behind again, squinting and narrowing her eyes in the dark. He was definitely still there. "I think he's staring at your ass."

"What!" Kerry gasped, swinging around. She was still innocent enough that shock mixed in with the prurient pleasure of being checked out. There was no one there. "Very funny. I'll make sure to get you back for that."

Her best friend frowned, looking over her shoulder again. "There was someone there!" She replied indignantly. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if something not quite human jumped out at us from any of these small alleys or dark shops."

"You've been reading too many Anne Rice novels." Kerry replied, her heart speeding up faster at the thought. There was something fundamentally wrong with her when her body reacted more to the thought of vampires than it did to being mugged. With the two subjects conversed so close together, she couldn't help the unbidden memories which wormed their way to the forefront of her mind. Her body hummed at the thought of Michel following her around, watching from the shadows as she vacationed and explored antique stores and tourist traps.

"Oh. There he is again." Nelle didn't even try to be subtle this time. She pointed across the street at a guy walking parallel to them. "Wow. Hot."

"Yeah." Kerry murmured a reply, hoping she was able to keep the disappointment out of her voice. After all, she was only looking at some guy. He could have been gorgeous, but she couldn't quite see him over the feeling of disenchantment. "It's the city. Just filled with hot, oozing sensuality."

"I'm glad you convinced me to come." Nelle grinned, practically clapping her hands together with glee as she seemingly inhaled the enthusiasm Kerry was rapidly losing. "Come on," she giggled, grabbing Kerry's arm and dragging her across the street. "The hottie just went into that store. Let's follow."

"Uhm." Kerry balked. "That store is too kitsch for my taste."

"The store," Nelle replied, showing remarkable insight and a forwardness only the best of friends could get away with. "Or the man?"

"Both." Kerry replied levelly. "I don't want to get in the way of your groove."

Nelle looked insulted at the term 'groove.' Kerry only grinned back. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when I return home with stories of an illicit romance and all you have is some weird tourist t-shirt."

Kerry raised an eyebrow and leaned against the clapboard storefront. During the day, she probably would have thought twice about getting her clothes dirty on the grimy wood, but at night it was out of sight and out of mind. "Go. I'll be fine out here for a few minutes."

Nelle crossed her arms over her chest and gave a teasing frown. "So you're what? Gonna play sentry?" With a quick grin and a mock salute, she turned on her heel and entered the store, leaving Kerry alone with her thoughts and shadows.

"I almost have to around you." She mumbled under her breath, rummaging through her purse for something to do with her hands in order to appear occupied. A few minutes ago, the air had seemed spicy and exotic in its heat. Now she felt sticky and a bit cross. Her nerves still hummed against the surface, waiting and watching for something that would never happen. She had thought that getting away from home would put a halt to her foolish romantic notions and wishes that she'd stumble across Michel on every corner. She was being so stupid, really. The safest place she could be was probably Brockport. It was old news to a vampire like him, and probably one of the most dangerous places he could be at the moment.

She resorted to tapping her fingernails against the building in a quick tattoo. A couple passing by frowned in her direction, but she figured it was more of a weary wonderment if she would attack them than a disapproval of any noise she was making. Just in case, she quickened the beat and tried to apply a bit more pressure for an extra obnoxious sound. She was feeling a bit rebellious.

From around the darkened corner of the building, a hand shot out and closed around her wrist. Before she had time to do more than widen her eyes in shock, she was yanked off the relatively safe street and into the monstrous dimness of a narrow driveway. A second hand crashed against her mouth, slamming her head back against the building. Kerry's breath became choppy as she was forced to breathe through her nose, and her heart rate accelerated to a point of dizzy alarm.

He didn't speak to her, just pressed closer into her personal space and waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in darkness. When recognition and temper flared through her eyes instead of blind fear, he removed his hand. He wanted to tell her to get out of his city. Out of his life.

Out of his mind.

Instead, he kissed her with all the violence simmering on the surface and other emotions he had avoided naming that lived in a deeper part of him.

Kerry froze for a moment, her mind still resisting the idea that he was here. Then, she kissed him back, weaving her fingers into his tumbling black hair. She arched against him slightly, yearning for more contact than they ever had before. He grabbed her hips, yanking her nearer so that she was pressed intimately against him. With a muffled shriek, she felt herself falling backwards.

"Christ." He whispered sharply, bringing his hand back up to support her back. He gave a bark of laughter and pulled the two of them into a standing position.

Kerry giggled and pressed her head against his shoulder. One of the things she missed the most about him was how he laughed at her, whether silently or out loud. Well, maybe she just missed the amusement in his eyes and not the fact it was directed at her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, pulling away enough so he could watch her face.

"It suits you." She replied, skipping a few wavelengths in the conversation. She reached up and skimmed a few fingers over the ends of his hair and the top of his shoulder. "The city," she continued, flattered that she was able to draw an impatient look out of his impassiveness. "I'm here on vacation. What are you doing here?"

They both knew she wasn't talking about the city, but asking what he was doing in this particular alley. He moved away from her, not only physically. "Did you think I could let you live?"

"Not during that those two days I was with you, but you didn't seem to care either way. Maybe the problem isn't with me being alive," she carefully watched his face, hoping she was more versed in his expressions than she was a year ago. "You couldn't forget me as easily as you assumed."

His face remained expressionless, telling Kerry more than she thought it would.

"That's the ugliest shirt I've ever seen." He looked pointedly at the silly touristy t-shirt she had bought earlier.

He also, Kerry mused with joyous amusement as her heart took a gleeful leap, changed the subject. There was definitely something there. Maybe he couldn't get rid of the thoughts of her, just like she was continuously plagued by him.

"Don't get all excited." He responded to the change in heartbeat. "You're the same as every other girl I've met. Cute. Sexy. Inferior."

She crossed her arms, frowning at him. She didn't know whether to be affronted or amused that he was deliberately mixing compliments with insults.

"… And I'm not staring at your chest."

He was soooo staring at her chest.

"Liar."

He grinned ruefully. "Probably."

They fell silent, wearily eying each other. Kerry knew for a fact that she was trying to memorize the strength of his jaw, the blue of his eyes, and the spill of his hair. There was no doubt in her mind that this meeting was a complete accident, stemming from her choice of New Orleans for a end-of-term trip and him picking the same place to troll for a meal.

"Well," Kerry murmured, breaking the silence. "I'll just let you get on with trying to find a good victim for your screw-n-chew." She moved to amble out of the alley, wishing her heart rate didn't accelerate with the thought of walking away from him again.

Michel grabbed her hand and violently pulled her up against him. He lowered his mouth to the edge of her jaw, so it was hovering between her neck and ear. "The next time I see you, chere, you will be more than my regular _'victim.'"_ He turned his head slightly, kissing the pulse of her neck. He inhaled sharply before dropping her abruptly.

Kerry stumbled backwards, trying to keep to her feet.

"You'll be dead." Michel concluded with a growl, his charming smile back to gracing his lips.

"Kerry?" Nelle's voice broke through the sound of the blood rushing to Kerry's ears.

"Promise?" She whispered, a choke in the frantic tone of her voice. His eyes widened slightly, as if that was the last thing he had expected her to say. It probably was.

"Did he just threaten you?" Nelle asked incredulously, suddenly right at Kerry's back. Kerry jumped, turning towards her friend in a reflexive movement. She could sense Michel leaving as she shifted, blending into the shadows like a spirit.

"No." Kerry replied calmly, her pulse dropping as a smile crossed her face. "It was more of a friendly warning."

Nelle didn't look convinced. "Let's go back to the motel. You look flushed." She swung around, a pink bag twirling in her hand. "It's probably because that was the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen."

* * *

©RelenaFanel2005

Please let me know what your favourite part/line was…


	4. Paradise

Kerry swung her tote bag as she walked, letting the rhythmic pendulum of the cloth mirror the strides of her legs. It was only late afternoon and already the sun was setting in pinkish hues behind the golden leaves of the maple trees. Her world was a kaleidoscope of reds, yellows, greens, and browns. The wind bit crisply into the material of her small jean jacket and she turned her head to inhale the autumn scents in the air. Someone already had a fire going in the fireplace. The sidewalk was a paradise of leaves, urging her to throw away her adulthood and dive into the mounds of tree-droppings like a little girl.

Her feet unconsciously brought her to the front yard of a yearningly familiar house. She paused, letting the last rays of weak light fall upon her profile and glint off her brown hair. The property of this sole house was intact since an era of finery and beauty whereas all the other land in the surrounding area had been spliced for profit. She could almost smell the richness of years past as she stared into the eerie gables and turrets of white painted wood.

She couldn't help but wonder how long this building had belonged to Michel. Centuries? Decades? Years? Never?

A few yards away a man was stuffing foliage into the middle of a tire bonfire. His son danced around him, throwing leaves in the air and twirling through them. Father and child both laughed, celebrating life and joyousness only a few feet away from death's door.

Kerry removed her sunglasses, placing them recklessly into her purse, and turned back towards the main street of her growing hometown. She had paid her respects to Michel, visiting his house and allowing the memories wash over her. He still managed to remain under her skin, like a scarab slowly eating away at muscle and flesh until a bare skeleton remained.

She feared that if he didn't come back for her, she'd dissipate into a haunted shadow of herself.

Kerry had parked her car in the parking lot of a nearby store. It barely took her any time to run for it and throw herself into the front seat before the tears came. She could almost hear him laughing at her, mockingly and smugly as he realized he had never let her go. She pushed the heel of her hand into her temple, rubbing it down her forehead to her eye.

At some point, she had started the car. Kerry's tires squealed as she pulled out of the parking lot, desperately trying to get away from her memories. Her imagination. She honestly meant to drive home as quickly as traffic laws allowed her to, but instead she found herself pulling onto a back street and directly in front of the location she had just vacated.

She felt as if she were going crazy. Just a little.

Just a lot.

He wouldn't leave her alone. Where was he? She had willingly walked away from his vampiric embrace and chose life. He haunted her dreams, her reality, and the thin line separating the two. Sometimes, she didn't even know if he was real at all, or just a figment of her imagination during a difficult time of her life.

WHERE WAS HE?

The house always called her back. It was all she had left.

_"Kerry." He mumbled, dragging a hand through his long black hair. "Did you think you could escape?"_

_"No." She turned to face him. "You won't let me."_

_He remained staring forward out the windshield of the car. "I did let you," he continued in a hushed voice. "I let you walk right out that door and out of my life. It is you who won't let go."_

_"Don't blame this all on me!" Kerry snarled in return, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder. She was thankful her hand didn't travel through him like a specter. "I feel as if my mind isn't my own. For days, I'm fine and barely think of you, and then suddenly I'm possessed." Her face begged him to reassure her that it was only vampire trickery; that he had been toying with her again._

_Michel shook his head, throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her close. "Its love," he whispered in her ear as if it were the most dangerous secret he had ever shared with her._

Kerry snapped back into reality, slightly annoyed, but not surprised to find herself sitting sideways in the driver's seat. She shook her head, covering a shiver which vibrated down her spine. The streetlight turned on overhead. The sun had set on another day of her life without Michel.

Sometimes, when her concept of reality was skewered and she found herself thinking of him at the oddest of times, she just had to remember what it felt like to spend days in his sardonic company; he hardly ever told her the truth, and loved to toy with her emotions; He had assumed she would love to be a vampire, and she remembered what it felt like to be held in his arms as he prepared for the killing taste. It all meshed into a single thing for her:

Paradise.


	5. Christmas

_December 14_

Kerry rubbed her hands together, hoping to keep them warm for the brief moment when she walked from the bus stop to the mall. Already, she could see the Christmas lights and decorations hanging from the sterile ceilings and walls. The final notes of a cheerful holiday song tinkled through the heavy glass doors as the woman in front of her opened it. Kerry quickened her pace to a jog, barely noticing the unnecessary change in speed, and grabbed the door before it closed. The change in temperature between outside and the heated doorway was palpable to her chilled skin. Walking in a Winter Wonderland began playing as she stepped into the main part of the mall. Customers around her were scurrying in and out of stores, dragging huge bags of presents, small infants, and tired feet. By the end of the night, she'd appear like these harried, stressed women, just trying to find that final, perfect gift.

Trying to get the worst of it over first, she immediately headed towards the toy store on the second level of the mall. Kerry had to skirt around a long lineup, thick with strollers, hollering kids, and shushing moms trying to visit Santa before next Christmas. For a moment, she ungenerously entertained the question of why any mother would ever subject their child to Midnight Madness. As far as she was concerned, taxes off was not worth the strain. If this wasn't the only free day she had between exams and her voyage home tomorrow morning, she wouldn't even have bothered coming to the mall today. She was only here for Ian, as her father had deemed it impossible to find half his presents in her hometown. Kerry only hoped she had better luck in Boston.

She effortlessly found the Ninja Turtle Knights he had placed on the list. This was easier than she thought it would be. Triumphantly, she crossed it off the list and went to the next item. An Anakin/Darth Vader light saber. She turned around in the aisle from where she was facing the Cowabunga toys and found herself face to face with the Star Wars section. Booya. She scanned the selection of figurines and Vader masks, but didn't see any light sabers. Her shoulders slumped as she squinted at the lower and upper shelves to no avail.

Kerry sighed.

"Can I get an icecweem? Pleeease mommy! I want ICECWEEEEEEEEEEEM!" A toddler wailed, balanced on his mother's hip as she grabbed a Pokémon plushie. Someone should have saved the poor lady the pain and told her Pokemon was so last month.

"Shhhhh." The mom hiked the child up, trying to balance everything while pushing an empty stroller. Superman, thy name is single-mother. Or something like that.

Kerry winced as the kid hit a high note in his pleading. She was never having children. Ever.

Long after the mom and child had left, she was still standing there staring hopelessly at the little Queen Amidala and Chewbacca action figures. She consulted the list, making sure she was searching for the correct thing. Yep, it still said Anakin/Darth Vader light saber.

"Can I help you?" An exhausted store worker in a bad smock asked, taking pity on her befuddled appearance.

Kerry was about to politely dismiss the assistance, and then realized she wouldn't get any further on her quest without help. This was Everquest, Christmas shopping style and it was time to use the in-game characters sent to help the protagonist. Yeah, she wasn't that sure where that train of thought had come from either. "I'm looking for this." She pointed at the list.

The employee glanced between the list and the shelf, eyes jerking back and forth like a ferret searching for predators. "I'll check in the back." He stated abruptly, limping away at an ambling pace.

Somehow, Kerry reflected, she always managed to meet the freaks. Five minutes later, she was still standing in the same spot, only a bit older. Her helpful store employee hadn't emerged from the storage space. She tried to think charitable thoughts and imagine the back to be a huge ware-house like room stacked with toys, and the one she needed on the top shelf. Her dude, with his gimp leg and all, might at this very moment be struggling to climb a ladder which fell 5 feet short of the goal. He'd have to reach up, putting his weight on his bad foot… knowing it would make Ian's Christmas.

Or he went on a coffee break.

"Did you hear that woman break down sobbing?" One of the salesclerks asked a fellow minion as they stocked the shelves a few feet away from Kerry. She was bored enough that their conversation grabbed her attention, plus, another person's misery was better than wallowing in her own.

"Yeah," salesclerk number two giggled, putting a price sticker on a Bratz doll. "Was she another one of those unlucky parents searching for this year's 'hottest gift.'" She paused her work for a second to finger quote around "hottest gift."

"The Compusaur? …yeah. Exactly. The frigging thing has been sold out for months. I don't know if we actually even got one."

"I never saw any."

Kerry turned away from eavesdropping, her stomach rolling with dread. Please, she asked the higher beings as she unfolded Ian's list again, don't let him have asked for that. Of course, that was the next item she had to pick up, proceeding Inuyasha cards and a Gameboy game. Kerry crushed the paper in her hand with growing frustration. How was she supposed to magically find Ian a computer dinosaur hybrid when huge toy-stores weren't sure they ever got them in?

"I'm back." The salesclerk who was serving her whispered directly behind her right ear. Kerry jumped, a small frightened screech emerging from her lips. The worker coughed, clearing his throat. "Didn't mean to scare you, ma'am."

Ma'am? She was only nineteen. How old did she look? Sure, the corners around her eyes were beginning to wrinkle a bit, but it wasn't that bad.

"Here is that Star Wars thing you wanted." He shoved the light saber at her. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No… uhm… What's the story behind the Compusaur?" Kerry unwillingly queried, shifting her eyes in shame. The last thing she wanted or needed was to be coffee break gossip. She could almost hear it now; "there was this girl who wanted the Compusaur today. insert much laughter What a loser."

"Cargo ship from Japan went down in the Pacific. There are a total of 100 in all of North America."

"That still happens in this century?"

The store employee paused for a second, strenuously putting his two brain cells together. "Yeah, dude, that's like so 1975!" He scratched a scraggly beard, which looked like a spider died on his chin for imagery sake, and chewed on his upper lip as he tried to formulate his next sentence. "If you want one real bad, I hear people are sellin' 'em on Ebay for a thou."

"A thousand dollars?" Kerry exclaimed, congratulating herself for understanding skat3r speak but drawing the attention of the gossiping shelf stockers she had been listening to a moment before.

"Shhhhhh," The guy hissed, drawing her out of the aisle. "We aren't supposed to talk about it."

"Then why…" Kerry narrowed her eyes at the guy who was going out of his way to help her. What was his deal, anyway?

"You were all cute and befuddled," He averted his gaze from her.

OOOOOO… big word. She was impressed. He was pretty cute for a loser with a limp.

"Well," she turned on the flirting by grinning and unzipping her sweater a bit. She may not necessarily want to date him, but a little innocent flirting and cleavage goes a long way to finding out what you need to know. "There is no other way to get one?"

"Not unless you have CONNECTIONS, man. Or someone in Japan."

Kerry wasn't sure what the difference was there. She thanked the guy and started to walk away.

"You're welcoooome!" He called after her, limping his way in the opposite direction to help some other unassuming chick.

* * *

_December 16_

"Kerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!" Ian called out as he ran through groups of towering adults in the train station. He launched himself at her, clinging with all his strength to her midriff. "Daddy said you were coming home today."

"Wow… you're getting so big, squirt." She ruffled his hair affectionately, grinning from ear to ear at her younger brother.

"How long are you home for?" He asked, reaching up to grab her hand as she walked towards their father. "Forever?" Ian continued innocently, sounding so hopeful Kerry wanted to quit university for a moment.

"For Christmas and New Years, bud," she replied emotionally, not wanting to hear the disappointment in his voice or the sad pout on his face.

"Oh," and just like that, Ian's mood changed from being excited for her homecoming to depressed because she was leaving again.

"I'll be home for a while." Kerry knelt on the wet pavement, gathering him to her in a tight hug. "What do you want for Christmas?" She asked perkily, trying to elevate the mood. Her dad reached them and was standing by for his greeting.

"A Compusaur!" The little guy exclaimed, mischievously flipping Kerry's hood on her head.

Kerry and her father exchanged a look, both telling the other that they hadn't found one without using the words.

* * *

_December 20_

"I know the theme song, you know." Ian boasted with pride from his position on the floor at the foot of the couch.

"To what?" She questioned absentmindedly as she flipped a page of Memoirs of a Geisha. She had to finish the novel before her father came home and found she had snuck it from the secret gift hiding place. Christmas was the only time of year when it was perfectly acceptable, encouraged even, to lie right to a person's face. 'No. I didn't buy you a gift yet,' 'Santa will bring that if you're good this year,' and 'yes, those cookies are completely homemade.' Despite the festivity of dishonesty, Kerry's father did not condone behavior like that, so it was best that she didn't get caught reading a book she would be receiving for Christmas.

Ian looked up at her from his spot at her feet, eyes welling in disappointment and face arranged in a pout. He was at the age when children begin to notice when they are being ignored. "The Compusaur," he muttered, crestfallen little features tugging at her guilt-ridden heart. Kerry was a complete pushover when it came to Ian.

"Ok, let's hear it." She said, placing the book on her lap so she wouldn't be tempted to sneak a paragraph or so in while he was singing.

"No!" Her brother exclaimed petulantly, going back to playing with his Lord of the Ring action figures. She'd like to get a little action in with Legolas' figure… or maybe Aragorn. Not the toy though, just so that statement is completely understood.

She nudged his side with her foot, trying to tickle him without actually moving from her position on the couch. He merely swatted her leg away, becoming more impatient.

"Poke."

Ian tried to ignore her.

"Poke." She leaned over, poking her fingers into his sensitive side. "Pokety poke poke."

Ian giggled, trying to push her away. "Stop it," he squealed.

"Only if you sing the song."

"No," he managed to yell between fits of laughter. She moved her tickling away from his sides and attacked the back of his knees. "Ok!" He caved in before she barely had time to renew the assault. "Ok! Ok!"

"Ok then." Kerry sat back on the couch, motioning for him to come up and sit beside her on the cushions. He crawled off the floor and snuggled up, his head now able to rest securely on her shoulder. Ian was getting so big. Soon he'd be all grown up, and it would be as if she had missed a huge chunk of his life. Years ago, she would have immediately associated a thought like that with her mother's absence from their lives, but now it merely reflected on her own relationship with her family: dad, Ian, and herself.

"It's a dinosaur!" Ian started the song.

"What is?" Kerry pretended to look around the room for the ancient being.

"The song, silly! Don't interrupt me, Kerry. I know you like doing that."

Her baby brother was catching on. He was growing up. She felt the need to wipe an imaginary tear from her eye. "I won't. Promise." She put her arm around Ian. She never wanted to give this up.

"It's a dinosaur! It's a computer! It's a Compusaur! T-Rex may have been big, and ate everything in sight, but when he ate an Apple it was a very important byte. The computer for kids!" Ian trailed off his jingle with prideful grin. He was able to remember all the words and the tune perfectly.

Kerry clapped her hands together while wondering if advertising agents were getting stupider.

"I can't wait to get one for Christmas. Then I can have my own computer like you and dad do. And I can talk to you on MSN!" Ian was practically dancing in his seat against her side. Kerry's heart broke and she almost started to cry in front of him.

"You know, bud," She began, pausing to gain control of her voice before it cracked. She still couldn't bring herself to disappoint the little guy. "Santa won't be able to find one if there aren't any in the North Pole. Did you hear about the ship of them delivering there that sank?"

"Santa let a ship sink?" Ian was shocked.

"It wasn't Santa's fault…" Kerry found herself defending the Man in Red. This wasn't how she had hoped the conversation went. "I just don't want you to be that disappointed if you don't get one. If a hundred kids ask for one and he only has ten, then he has to make decisions." Oh, she just stuck her foot deeper in her mouth. How could she explain why Ian didn't make the cut and the rich kid in his class did?

Ian was watching her, eyes wide, waiting for her to continue.

"Look how much you have, sweetie, and I don't mean stuff. Dad loves you more than three parents combined." That wasn't really fair to other parents, but she was gaining ground on her reasoning. "And you have me home for the holidays."

Ian thought about it for a minute. "Kerry?"

"Hmm?"

"You're right. I think some other kid should get my Compusaur and all my other gifts. I don't deserve them."

Oh God. Her brother had the biggest heart ever. Kerry pulled him on to her lap, despite the fact he was getting a bit too big for that, and buried her face in his shoulder to cry. Ian hugged her, shedding a few tears himself. He wasn't used to being the one who offered the comfort. "Santa wants to give you gifts, baby. You've been such a good boy. You DO deserve them."

She had wanted to prepare Ian for not getting his precious Compusaur, but now, more than ever, Kerry felt the need to find him one.

Somewhere.

* * *

_December 22_

CSI had just finished and Kerry sat on the couch flipping channels and trying to avoid going to bed. She settled on some random sitcom and hoped the half hour of mindless stupidity didn't rot her brain. Commercials came on within seconds, and she was about to change the channel again when a square blue dinosaur danced across the screen.

"_It's a dinosaur! It's a computer! It's a Compusaur! T-Rex may have been big, and ate everything in sight, but when he ate an Apple it was a very important byte. The computer for kids!" _

Kerry snarled and flipped off the television. She was being haunted by the damn thing.

December 25, 4:00 AM

"Psssssssssst, Kerry!" A hushed voice called from her bedroom door.

Kerry's eyes shot open as she tried to prove she was awake. She always bragged to Ian that she woke up before him every Christmas morning. Recently, he had been beating her by hours. It was as if the older she got, the more important sleep was over opening gifts. Eugh… she was growing ancient. "I'm up!" She managed to exclaim in a surprisingly alert voice.

"I know," she could almost hear Ian rolling his eyes. "That's why you were snoring a second ago."

Smart-mouthed little brat. She couldn't help but grinning in the dark in his general direction. "Only to keep you on your toes." She rolled over and looked at the digital clock beside her bed. She barely kept from moaning out loud at the early time. "Why don't you sleep for another hour? Let dad sleep in for a bit this year. That would be a super gift." She almost closed her eyes and went back to sleep in the middle of the sentence.

"Dad's up and making coffee." Ian's hand snaked into her room and turned on the light switch. "Come on Karebear! PRESENTS!" Ian practically bounced as he hurried downstairs.

Kerry did whimper as her feet touched on the cold wood floor. Oh, man. How did she manage wake up this early as a child? A little bit of the enthusiasm was curling through her as she grabbed her housecoat and hurried after her younger brother. She reached the living room just as her dad was groping the wall as he tried to find the plug for the tree. A Christmas tradition in her family was seeing all the gifts under the tree for the first time by the illumination of holiday lights shining through the needles. Of course, she and dad had just seen them all three hours before when they had put the finishing touches on Santa's delivery, but Ian didn't know that. She wondered what would happen to all their silly little traditions when Ian was too old for Santa. Hopefully that was a few years away.

The three of them stared in shock at the pile of presents in front of the tree. In the center of the room, as if spotlights were dancing over the main attraction, sat a huge box addressed to Ian. It hadn't been there when she had gone to bed. She never would have given her dad credit for being that sly. If a Compusaur was in that box, it was a Christmas miracle.

"Can I open it?" Ian was prancing around the mystery box, looking at his father for permission. Mr. Nowicki gave Kerry an odd look and then nodded to his son. Ian practically stripped the paper off the gift and gave a squeal of glee. Kerry fumbled for the digital camera in order to capture the moment forever.

"A Compusaur!" Ian exclaimed with glee, hugging the half-wrapped gift to his chest. "Thank you Santa!" He looked up at the ceiling, his gaze going much further than the confines of the house.

Once again Kerry found herself getting emotional. She wiped a tear from her eye and grinned like a fool at her close-knit little family as her father knelt to help Ian push the rest of the wrapping paper away from the computer. She almost jumped out of her skin when the phone behind her rang. Who would call at this early hour? Who was AWAKE at this hour?

"Hello?"

"Your family looks so joyous. Go into the hallway, Kerry. You wouldn't want to break the fragility of happiness."

Kerry's blood ran cold. She didn't recognize the voice, but she had been threatened enough in her short life to know the demand was serious. With a shrug to her father, she turned her back on her safe haven and wandered into the chilled hallway. "Who is this? What do you want?" She hissed into the phone, feeling as if she was participating in a new form of Fear Factor.

"You don't remember me?"

His voice echoed familiarly through the terror clouding her brain. "Oh! It's you!" She paused for a second, almost wanting to grin at Ethan calling her at Christmas. "You've never called me before…" she trailed off suspiciously, trying to get more information out of him while somewhat apologizing for not recognizing his voice.

He remained quiet on the other end of the phone. Right, who was she kidding? Getting information out of Ethan was like trying to squeeze orange juice out of an apple. "Hello?"

"Go upstairs."

"Why? Why are you trying to get me away from my family?" When she often thought of Ethan after the incident a few years ago, albeit less frequently lately, she always recalled the vampire who kissed her like no one before, or after, ever managed to do, and the man who let her go in the end. Sometimes, she forgot that he was a possibly-evil enigma, who always served his own purposes before thinking of someone else. That was his survival instincts, and whether they were natural or learned, it was one of the main reasons he remained alive and exactly the same year after year. How ever many that may have been.

She put her foot on the first stair, willing to go along with him up to a point. "Ethan… Michel?" She corrected herself, willing to show a bit more faith in him by calling him by the name he had given her. "You couldn't have called me later? We're opening presents. Ian just got one of those Compusaurs…"

"I know." Ethan cut her off. "How do you think he managed to get it?"

She was now at the top of the stairs. She squinted into the quasi-darkness, trying to see into the shadows for darkness himself. "Dad must have found it online," She shrugged.

"Really, Kerry, I thought you were brighter than that. Don't be so naïve."

"You?" She formulated it as a question, but the moment he made the implication, it all made sense in her mind. Who was the only person who could pull a rabbit out of a hat? No, something more exotic than a rabbit, Michel could pull a real fairy out of an ugly hat. "Why?"

"I don't like owing a dept."

"So, everything is cool between us now?"

"You didn't let me finish. I don't like owing a dept to someone I plan to take. Blood. Body. And Soul."

For a moment, Kerry couldn't think or breathe. Her world felt like it was crashing down and floating above the clouds at the same time. How could he make her want to agree with and throw herself at him when at the same time she wanted to run away in fear?

"Walk into your bedroom."

The door was closed, but her light was shining from beneath the door. Her heart was beating so quickly, she could hear it. If Michel was in a hundred mile radius, he probably could as well. She inhaled, not quite sure why her lungs were still working, and poked her door. It easily swung open, the light enveloping her like a scene from The Christmas Story. If she was going towards the night, this wasn't a very fitting way to do it. She peeked in her bedroom, but no one was in her immediate sight. She took a step in and found the most disturbing thing yet resting on her pillow.

Someone had left her a foil-wrapped Christmas present which hadn't been there fifteen minutes ago. "Are you in the house?" She whispered, twirling around in her bedroom to catch a sight of him.

"Would I remain on the scene of a crime after committing it?"

He hadn't really answered the question, she realized. After just a few moments of talking to him on the phone, she was beginning to remember how to read him. Very skeptically. She just stared at the gift as if she didn't know what to do with it.

"Open it."

"Is this some kind of vampire trickery? If I accept a gift from you, does that mean you own me or something?"

"Kerry," he sighed impatiently, and took a moment before continuing. She hoped she frazzled his nerves at least one thousandth of what he was doing to her. "It is just something I want you to have."

She balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder, ripping into the beautiful wrapping paper. The small box was old, almost crumbling, and had the name of a jeweler she did not recognize. Oh boy. She was about to receive her first piece of jewelry from a man. It was an oddly exhilarating experience.

"Your heartbeat." Ethan broke off.

"Yes," she whispered back, almost feeling as if they had began a conversation far more dangerous than previously. It was something almost sexual. Quickly, so she could avoid any phone-sexesque lines that might come next, she flipped open the lid of the box to expose a breathtaking blood-red pendant necklace. "It's beautiful." The gem itself was about the size of her thumbnail and practically bled from a gold chain. Kerry trailed her finger over the silky chain, letting the links sift in her hand. "You shouldn't have bought me anything. I mean, that gift for Ian must have been insanely expensive."

"I didn't. It was my mother's."

Kerry almost dropped the box in shock. He was giving her something of his mother's! Did that mean he loved her? Or did he actually do this often? How did she respond to something like that? A mere thank you didn't suffice. She already told him she loved him. In the end, she decided to go with a little levity. "Thank you. Does this mean that if I trace the age of the necklace, I can figure out your approximate age?"

His voice took on that amused quality she had hated during their brief companionship. "It may have been an antique when she got it."

"Or you could be lying about it being hers."

"That too." He then said one of scariest things she had heard thus far. "That is what I like about you. You are always skeptical of everything I say and question it. We're alike in that way. Oh, I can see by your face that you don't like that. It's true."

"You are in the house!" She needed him to talk about something else, before he told her that she would make a great vampire just like he was. Sometimes, she might flirt with the idea of joining him, but she didn't really want to.

"Don't change the subject; you knew I was in your house from the moment you recognized my voice. Kerry, I think you'd," He broke off with a slightly self-depreciating laugh. "Go back with your family. Enjoy and cherish the time you get with them, because you'll see me again shortly."

The phone clicked in her ear. She stood in her room, wondering if he would pop out of her closet and change his mind. She half hoped he would. Quickly, she grabbed the necklace out of the box and placed it around her neck as she hurried down the stairs. Somehow, it seemed wrong to be doing the clasp on her own. It really needed him behind her, whisking her hair off her neck, and letting his fingers trail over the exposed skin.

All her wishes for Michel were forgotten when she entered the living room to find Ian and her father setting up the Compusaur. When Ian saw her, he ran over and gave her a big hug, and then dragged her over to see his treasure. Later, she was sure, her father would ask her how she got it, and since he didn't appreciate lying, especially at Christmas, she would tell him the truth.

She sold her soul to get it, and there was no way she would ever take that back.


	6. Party, part I: Caffeinated Vigor

**Adversaries of the Light**

_The Party part 1: Caffeinated Vigor_

* * *

It was a simple fact; Kerry loved surprises, which was why her extreme dislike for surprise blind dates was rather complex. Now, most people can see why anyone would have a general aversion to going on a date with a complete stranger, but Kerry's reasoning went even deeper than that. If she had to identify the whys of the matter, she would have to say it had something to do with the guaranteed discomfort of the situation. Plus, she always appreciated being able to pick out her own guys instead of someone doing that for her. Nelle, still Kerry's best friend after the hormonal horrors of high school and the new-found freedom and wildness of college, had insisted the two of them check out a new café which had just opened in the middle of down-town. Already, the quaint and cozy coffee/sweet shoppe was getting rave reviews from the partiers and studiers on campus alike. The unique ambiance was more reminiscent of a ski-lodge than the normal chain restaurants Kerry casually frequented, and she had been more than willing to partake in a cup of cappuccino and a huge plate of rumoredly mouth watering, moist, chocolate oozing brownies.

Oh yeah, the added pounds would be worth it if those brownies were as good as they sounded. In fact, Kerry mused, she could probably eat a plate of them if she went jogging every morning this week. And maybe borrow Nelle's thigh-master torture device. She could practically smell a layer of chocolate in the air and her stomach growled in response. She needed the sugar and caffeine after the terrible day she had, emphasized by a midterm, pop quiz, and getting caught in a torrent of rain.

Apparently, it wasn't over.

Nelle waved frantically at a couple of men sitting across the room in a cozy corner. Immediately, she sauntered over, somehow weaving between chairs and tables as if they weren't there. Kerry sighed, moving to follow and instantaneously slammed her hip against a chair.

Great, the last thing Kerry needed today was to hang out with some of Nelle's millions of acquaintances. The girl met new friends like some people breathed air. Kerry could never manage to be out-going enough, bubbly enough, or care enough in order to meet everyone (or anyone, if she was being truthful). She had lost the trust in her fellow humans.

"Matt!" Nelle exclaimed giddily, sliding on the man's lap and giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I'm so sorry we're late."

It was worse than Kerry had thought. Nelle wasn't saying hello to some random friend, she was meeting her boyfriend. That meant - -

Kerry shifted uncomfortably, probably the first of many like motions she'd be doing tonight. Nelle was setting her up with someone. The little sneak. At least she was open with her deception, Kerry thought, and didn't try to pass this little meeting off as a coincidence. 'Oh Matt, imagine me and my single friend meeting you and your single friend here! What luck!'

Kerry glared at Nelle. Bah! Friends!

"Kerry," Matt broke through the strained silence which enveloped the group, his voice warning Kerry not to be rude. He sounded so much like her father, Kerry snapped out of her anger, and forced a smile as she sat down at the table. Just because Nelle had set her up unwillingly, didn't mean she had to be overtly hostile. She would just subtly make sure the guy didn't ask for a second date.

"I'm Kerry," she introduced herself, trying to sound as friendly as possible. Unfortunately, her voice sounded more like a chirpy cheerleader than a pleasant young lady. To make up for sounding _bouncy_ she extended her hand for him to shake.

"Ron," He replied, shaking her hand enthusiastically. He looked a bit dazed and dazzled by her overwhelming cuteness. Apparently, he _liked_ bouncy. His hand was overly sweaty, either from nerves or the steaming cup of coffee he had been cradling. He also had something green and wet between his front teeth.

Run Away! A voice in the back of her head begged her. Kerry was frozen for a moment, letting Ron hold her hand for an instant more than she should have. Quickly, she pulled away, but the damage was already done. He thought she was expressing interest. Matt and Nelle were looking smug like happy couples do when they manage to force their friends to join with the love.

Kerry inched forward in her seat, perched on the edge as if she could jump and bolt. In front of her was a mug of refreshingly hot liquid. Oh good, a prop. Now all she had to do was take a drink every time it looked like she might have to talk. She didn't even care if it was hers or the leftovers of someone who sat there before her.

"I ordered something for the two of you," Matt boasted, catching her gaze on the mug.

Kerry frowned suspiciously and took a sip. Instead of the frivolous, minty cappuccino she had hoped for, he had ordered lemon tea. Kerry hated tea almost as much as she hated lemons. Matt was notorious for ordering the wrong thing for everyone besides himself and his girlfriend, and yet he felt he was doing a service and deserved thanks. She put the cup back on the table. Maybe if she ignored it, the bad aftertaste would go away. She made a mental note to come back here on her own some time and order something she would actually enjoy.

"Isn't this place fab?" Ron asked, looking at her chest for an answer.

Kerry looked at Nelle and mouth 'fab?'

Nelle ignored her.

Ron's gaze didn't waver from her breasts. What devotion!

"Unbelievable," she answered him, stressing each syllable. He didn't seem to catch the sarcasm. Quickly, she took a drink of that horrid tea in order to avoid further conversation. She glared at Nelle and would have kicked her if she wasn't scared of missing and playing accidental footsies with her _date_. How dare Nelle do this to her! A blind date was bad enough, but one with this ogre was pushing it. Geez, she didn't need a boyfriend, nor did she want one. Why couldn't anyone understand that?

Unconsciously, she brought the blood stone necklace from beneath her shirt and rubbed it over her lips. Since she had received it for Christmas, fiddling with the present had become a second nature. She hadn't even realized she was doing anything until her best friend brought her attention to it.

"New necklace?" Nelle asked, managing to pull her attention away from Matt and her perfect drink long enough to focus on the one thing Kerry would rather not talk about.

"Looks pretty old to me," Ron commented, putting his two cents and one brain cell into the conversation.

Kerry let the heavy stone fall back into her shirt. Ron followed the descent with a mourning gaze, making Kerry sensitive to the fact she had been playing with it rather erotically. Michel probably would have enjoyed that, and smirked at her as if to say 'I know what you're thinking, Kerry.' "Family heirloom," she squeaked, from the combination embarrassment and lying. It wasn't a lie, not truly, she just hadn't said whose family it belonged to.

"Is that a real ruby?" Ron asked.

Why was he still speaking? He was completely giving far too much attention to Michel's necklace. It angered Kerry irrationally. The necklace belonged to her, and she didn't want to share it even in conversation. Somehow, talking about it seemed to take away the connection it had to the vampire who gave it to her.

"Dunno." Kerry murmured, forcing down another sip of the ghastly tea. At this rate, Matt would fall under the illusion that she actually liked his choice. As it was, she could barely control her gag reflex. Of course, that might have to do with her company just as well as the beverage.

Silence ensued.

"I read an awesome book this week," Nelle broke in, trying to get the conversation running smoothly. Nelle was the only person Kerry knew who could find the time to read fiction while studying at college, and she didn't mean picking up a book every once and a while. Nelle finished at least three a week.

"Oh?" One of them asked. Kerry wasn't sure, but it might have been her.

"It was this amazing vampire romance," Nelle answered enthusiastically, having no shame over her reading material. "Girl meets guy, saves his life, and guy turns out to be a vampire. They go on an adventure. Girl falls in love with him and then the guy saves her life in return."

"Sounds typical," Kerry replied casually, wishing they were talking about anything else. Why couldn't Nelle have read a book about a werewolf or something. Or maybe Ron could entertain them all with an egocentric story of how he won a major football game in high school singlehandedly and is now the hero of his hometown.

"Nelle has an affinity for vamplit," Matt explained to a confused Ron.

"This one was different though." Nelle leaned across the table towards Kerry, sensing the guys wouldn't be able to handle the romantic genre of the novel. "He lets her go in the end. You should really read it Kerry."

She already had. It was called _Kerry's Life_. The only difference was that in real life, the story didn't end when the heroine walked out the door.

For once, Nelle looked surprisingly excited about a book. Usually Kerry had to sit through complaining rants about how no one ever got the vampire traits right, or how vamps aren't supposed to be romantic wimps. Despite the fact that Kerry wasn't too pleased with the parallels to her own life, she couldn't exactly begrudge her best friend her enthusiasm. She did have a certain affinity for vampires as well. Maybe the book actually was worth reading, and then she could plug Michel and herself into the roles of the main characters and the two of them could have a new (albeit fictional) adventure. "Is there any sex?"

Matt choked on his perfect latte. Ron just looked uncomfortable, but whether it was in a good way or a bad way, Kerry didn't really want to know.

Nelle snorted. "Would I read anything without?" Another thing about Nelle's reading habits was that they tended to go the way of smut. Sometimes, it was fun to tease her about it. Now was not the time.

"Probably not," Kerry grinned. She caught a whiff of freshly-baked brownies and took a moment to just enjoy the smell. Her stomach clenched hungrily.

"Oh, Ron, that reminds me," Nelle exclaimed, swiveling towards the intermeddler with a mischievous grin on her face. "Did I ever tell you about the time Kerry and I went to Barnes and Nobles? It's a great story." Nelle didn't even give Ron time to answer before sliding full-tilt into story time. Kerry tried to block it out. The experience was humiliating enough yet alone the embellishments Nelle would insert into her tale this time.

"Kerry is totally shocked at the sheer size of this building. It is like a full city block and the first time any book lover walks in it is like total orgasm. Well, Kerry has never admitted to being a book lover but…" Nelle droned on.

Well, she hadn't said anything untrue yet, Kerry reflected. That was good.

"You know what else is instant orgasm?" A stunningly and achingly familiar voice murmured in her ear, sounding slightly teasing and sexy. Kerry jerked her head up, eyes widening in pleased shock as she recognized the man of so many of her dreams.

"Hmmm?" She managed to reply, words failing her as Michel pulled a chair out from a congruent table and straddled it backwards next her in one fluid movement.

"These brownies," he gave her a self-satisfied smirk and placed a steaming paper bag full of oozing chocolatey goodness in front of her. Kerry almost clasped her hands together in glee. She gave him a brilliant smile to convey her gratitude and ripped into the bag. Her fingers sank into the warm cake as she broke off a piece.

"The first bite is always the most pleasurable." Michel's breath hissed against the skin of her neck, leaving no doubt that he wasn't just talking about his food offering. She had to close her eyes against the sensation his words (and, if she was completely honest, the taste of the chocolate) evoked.

Kerry sucked the chocolate off a finger, staring at him through her eyelashes. She grinned coyly as he watched her. She was fully aware of the sexual tension coiling between them.

Their eye-sex was interrupted by someone saying Kerry's name. Guiltily, she tore her gaze away from Michel to find six curious eyes on the two of them. Nelle had stopped talking, either finishing the story or because she was curious as to who Michel was. Moment over. Kerry straightened in her chair. There was no way Nelle hadn't noticed the vibes between the two of them. Kerry would have to spend the next month fielding questions about who Michel was.

"This is," Kerry broke off. Who knew what name Ethan/Michel was going by today. Apparently she didn't even know who Michel was.

"Kurt," Michel helpfully filled in, seamlessly finishing the sentence so it didn't appear as if she was clueless.

"Kerry's cousin?" Nelle questioned, curiosity piqued. She had always wanted to meet the infamous cousin Kurt. "I thought you were older."

Apparently, Kerry realized, it hadn't been obvious that she had been three seconds away from jumping her 'cousin'. Thank goodness.

"I'm older than I look," Michel sighed as if he got asked that question a lot. Looking the way he did, Kerry wouldn't have been surprised. Who knew how old he really was? She was still no closer to the answer now than she had been three years ago. She wasn't even sure what age he had been changed at. Michel's black hair and startling blue eyes gave him a youthful appearance, and if she hadn't known any better, she would have placed his age around her own.

"Is it true you dated a model?" Nelle pushed.

"Oh yeah," he grinned as if remembering a fond memory. "She was a shallow, selfish chick, but boy could she move her hips." His trademark smirk was basically a leer, drawing a similar reaction from the other two males at the table.

Kerry squashed down a spark of jealousy as she realized he was likely speaking from experience. Of course he dated a model - he looked like one himself. It didn't mean anything. He was sitting here at her table in a café, not in a fancy restaurant sharing a glass of water with his date. A model was the perfect accessory for his arm; neither of them ate real food. Ha ha. Kerry grappled for something to say, needing to be the one addressing Michel. She wanted to reestablish a connection. "This is my friend Nelle," she introduced. "You may remember me mentioning her."

Michel smiled charmingly. "Enchanted."

Kerry noticed how smoothly he got out of answering whether he remembered Nelle or not. How very polite of him. She would take that as a no, but then she couldn't really blame him as she couldn't remember whether she had actually talked about Nelle during their weekend together. She continued with the introduction, "her boyfriend Matt and his friend Rob."

"Ron." The moron in question corrected, and unfortunately continued speaking. "I'm Kerry's date," he boasted.

"Is that so?" Michel reached over to shake Ron's hand. His grip was tight, and he leaned towards Ron to emphasize his dominance. "I would think that a girl who can't remember your name," he briefly paused to glance at Kerry. "Or deliberately gets it wrong, doesn't really like you. Maybe you should be more careful of what you classify as a _date_." Here the vampire lowered his voice threateningly. Michel really knew how to intimidate people.

Kerry lowered her head, trying to keep her expression out of sight. She was slightly embarrassed by Michel's actions, but mostly she was just amused. How could a girl really be mad when a quasi-boyfriend helped her get rid of an annoying admirer? Ron's face had gone red from either Michel's speech or the strength he had exerted with his grip. Score one for super-human powers.

Michel, finished exerting his possessiveness, or as everyone else saw it, his protectiveness over his cousin, settled back into his chair and surreptitiously pressed his knee against her thigh.

Kerry shoved another brownie chunk into her mouth and gave him a chocolate-coated grin.

Michel simply raised his eyebrow and reached across the table to grab her mug of tea.

"I thought you were in Paris," Nelle casually questioned, bring then attention back to her.

To avoid answering her, Michel took a page out of Kerry's book and took a sip of the vapid lemon tea and grimaced. Right. If he was going to not-drink something, he preferred coffee. They had something else in common. "Ker, I thought you hated tea."

"I do," she confirmed, doing little cartwheels inside because he remembered something so small about her.

"Good job I got this, then." He handed her a styrofoam mug she was sure he hadn't had a second before. Maybe it was a handy vampire trick, or maybe she had been too busy not staring at him that she hadn't noticed. Kerry took a sip and almost whimpered. Ok, she wasn't really fooling anyone. She did whimper. It was a chocolate fudge mint mocha. She'd wonder how he knew her exact order later, but now she just savored the taste of the amazing drink washing down remnants of the brownies he had also brought her. In her reverent thanks, she almost blurted out "I love you."

He nodded, aptly judging her approval through all the little hints written across her face. Of course, her rambling of 'thankyouthankyouilove - thisthankyou' might have helped hiverdict. "Glad you approve." He stood up, stooping to give her a slight brotherly/cousinly kiss on the top of her head. Kerry almost choked on her perfect mocha. Either he was playing a role, or was trying to convey something. She could have sworn he paused for the smallest moment in order to smell her hair.

"Later," he said casually and sauntered off. Kerry had to use all of her willpower not to watch his smooth powerful gait as he effortlessly moved between the tables in the café and s walked out the door. Later. It was more than a goodbye, it was a promise to see her again. Sometimes she wondered if he just couldn't help himself.

"Yum!" Nelle exclaimed, not even hiding the fact she was staring at Michel's ass despite her boyfriend's glare and pout. "I shoulda known that when you said he dated a model that your cousin would be an A plus."

Kerry felt absurdly pleased with her choice in men. Nelle only rated the great Matt at A minus on her ridiculous scale. She was a hard marker.

"Hey!" Matt protested, finally showing his annoyance at Nelle checking out another guy right under his nose.

Ron was still silent. Michel must have intimidated him more than she realized. Kerry glanced over at the offensive jerk as subtly as she could manage without giving him a reason to think she was interested. It was unlikely Michel had killed him with just a handshake, but she felt it her duty to check. Nope, he was just looking dazed and massaging his hand. Michel 1. Moron 0.

"You know, if any of my family happened upon each other in a café, we'd completely ignore each other's presence and make sure we were sitting out of sight. Not buy treats and spoil each other." Nelle obviously wasn't ready to give up the topic, whether she had a point or not. Kerry tried to ignore her.

"Are you going to eat all those?" Matt asked, pointing to her bag of brownies and also playing the ignoring-Nelle game. Ron might have been playing too, but mostly he just wasn't pay attention to anything but his own self-wallowing.

Kerry resisted the urge to throw her arms around the bag possessively. Was she going to eat them? No, she was going to bring them home and masturbate with them. Of course she was going to eat them! To answer Matt, she just popped another piece into her mouth and chewed while nodding.

Ron was still sullen. Everyone else at the table was getting there.

"I'm bored," Nelle whined, picking under her fingernails for dirt.

Great. Maybe they shouldn't have ignored her so much. A bored Nelle was an unpredictable Nelle.

"Let's go to the movies," she pleaded, turning towards her boyfriend to give the puppy-dog eyes she was so good at. Who could resist a puppy?

The moment Nelle turned away for a second, Matt turned his head towards Kerry and mouthed 'the plan'. Oh, right. She hadn't forgotten, what with Michel visiting and all. Nope. Her mind was not sieve-like at the moment at all. "We could blockbuster it and watch them at the apartment," she suggested, getting back on track. She couldn't push her vampire out of her mind, but she could concentrate on something else for a few seconds at a time.

"Sure!" Nelle chirped, grabbing her purse to signify that she wanted to leave right now.

Nelle thought she was so sneaky, inviting Matt to the café for a rendezvous. Well, they were about to pull one over on her. Kerry felt like rubbing her hands together and cackling like the devious evil plotter she was.

"Are you coming Ron?" Nelle asked.

And like always Nelle got in the last word. Kerry stopped being pleased with herself and tried to keep the frown off her face. Why was Nelle pushing for this relationship with the moron? Kerry thought it was pretty obvious she wasn't interested. Eugh! She'd never get rid of him now. She took a fortifying sip of her drink and grinned as the smooth chocolate mint coffee rolled down her throat, reminding her of Michel's promise. Tonight wasn't a total bust after all.

_TBC_

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The required Author's Note: Hey, fans of Vivian Vande Velde, I have a question for you. Most of you probably know I am working on a Dragon's Bait story. If all goes well I'll be updating that next week. I was wondering how many of you would like a Heir Apparent sequel as well? How many would like another Companions of the Night?

Cast your votes in a review. Heir Apparent? Companions of the Night? Both? Neither?

If you don't care, then why not tell me what your favourite line was? I always enjoy hearing that.


	7. Who Needs Caffeine?

Adversaries of the Light

IMPORTANT: I promised smut, but unfortunately I got a mixed reply. For those of you who wanted Michel and Kerry to go a little further, go to my myprofile page. A link is there to my LJ. Unfortunately I wasn't able to insert it right into this document. I hope the rest of you all like this chapter.

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"Who rented Die Hard?" Nelle asked, sounding as dismayed as a woman possibly can at the idea of spending two hours watching Bruce Willis blow things up. She was rummaging through the blockbuster bag as the four of them rode up the elevator to the fifteenth floor. Kerry had never minded the slow moving time the small elevators in her building usually took. She didn't really care that it took about a minute to get up to the floor she lived on instead of forty-five seconds. Of course, all those times she didn't have Ron/Rob/Whoever pressing his arm against hers. He must have taken Nelle's invitation as a sign that Kerry liked him. Yeah, Kerry wasn't sure how that worked either, but the loser seemed to have forgotten about Michel threatening him, so he must be back to the delusion that Kerry + Rob a date. 

"Yippee-ki-yay, mother fudger." Ron exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air with displaced excitement. Of course, he didn't use the word 'fudger'.

"Excuse me!" An incredulous Nelle shrieked, staring at Ron with pretty much the same disgusted look Kerry had been gracing him with all evening. Kerry tried to cram herself into the corner of the elevator, folding like an origami swan as she tried to get Ron to stop touching her. Unfortunately, he moved with her, leaning at an awkward angle.

Right. Ron was the moron who rented Die Hard.

"It's a great movie," Matt defended his friend and Die Hard fans everywhere.

The elevator doors dinged open. Kerry thanked the deities everywhere that they didn't live higher in the building as she narrowed her eyes at the elevator door and silently expressed her hate for the slow moving lift. She jerked herself out of the corner and dove for the door before it had completely finished opening.

"Oh shush," Nelle berated breezily as she stepped out of the box on a rope. She turned to face her boyfriend, walking backwards as he followed her. "We all know you'd rather watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith with us again." She motioned to Kerry on the 'us'. It was true. For all the times they rented the movie, they probably could have bought it. Watching a movie seemed to lose its appeal once you owned it, though, so they stuck to renting or illegal downloads from Bitlord.

"Angelina Jolie!" Matt bantered in response to Nelle's assertion in his best 'Duh! Why do you think?' voice.

For the most part, Kerry ignored their conversation. Thankfully, they were taking up most of the narrow hallway to the apartment, so Ron couldn't squeeze by and start harassing her by hovering over her shoulder like he had in Blockbuster. She reached into her jeans pocket and grabbed her keys to the apartment she shared with Nelle. She quickly unlocked the door and held it open for Nelle to go in first.

"Surprise!" Two dozen people yelled in tandem. "Rise!" One person screamed, somehow missing the cue and compensating with sheer volume.

Nelle gasped, hand going to her throat in shock. The bag with the movie rentals fell to the floor at her feet. Kerry swooped down to grab it before all the birthday well-wishers gathered around the guest of honour and trampled over the DVDs.

"Ohmigod!" Nelle exclaimed, laughing and almost crying at the same time as she saw the better half of her friends all gathered in the livingroom, with a table filled with snacks and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY NELLE sign across the wall. Kerry and Matt shared a look of understanding, congratulating each other silently for a plan well implemented. He had kept Nelle occupied with the sneaky plan to set Kerry up on a date, and all the while Kerry was planning the party without detection. He was a double agent. He'd make John McClane proud.

"Happy birthday!" The guests were now all gravitating towards the doorway, vying for Nelle's attention. Kerry slipped into the kitchen, noticing that the little bit of alcohol she had bought for the party had multiplied ten-fold. Someone had even brought jello-shooters. She rolled her eyes at the necessity for university students to drink until their brains sloshed out their ears and poured herself a glass of water from the tap. If she hadn't promised Matt that she would be the responsible one and stay sober, she would seriously have considered imbibing when Ron followed her into the kitchen.

"I don't think she knew." He said for conversation, cornering Kerry against the counter.

She didn't even bother rolling her eyes. "She suspected," Kerry answered, moving out of the way and sitting at one of the two folding chairs set up in the kitchen on either side of a small side table. Their small kitchen couldn't hold the dining table that was in the living room. The kitchen didn't have any lights on, but enough was streaming through from the other rooms to compensate. Kerry sipped her water, blocking out Ron when he sat down beside her. She relied on the fact that he would get bored soon. Kerry had no desire to go out and join the party unless she absolutely had to. The only reason she wasn't hiding in her bedroom was she had to make sure that everyone got into a cab at the end of the night. Woohoo. Sometimes it sucked being the responsible one.

Someone turned the music up. One of Nelle's friends came into the kitchen and grabbed two large bottles of Absolut vodka. "Do you mind if we, like, take all the booze out?"

Kerry tried not to wince at the word 'booze'. She nodded and gestured vaguely in the direction of the counter. "Take what you want." Then, she got the extreme joy of watching two muscle-bound football player-esque guys scoop up as much as they could and follow the blond out of the room. She almost wished the one trailing behind would trip and they would go down like dominoes and pin the skankily dressed chick to the carpet. Of course, then the glass bottles they were holding might break, and she didn't exactly wish for her carpet bloodied, so it was best not to hope for any farce reels.

"Why don't you go join the party?" Kerry asked Ron, trying to make it sound as if she was just making a suggestion instead of begging. Or ordering. Or three seconds away from getting up and throwing him out herself.

"Are you coming?" He asked, staring at the floor.

"No," she curtly replied. "I don't party."

Ron fiddled his fingers, looking like he was going to ask something embarrassing. "Do you mind if I go?" Oh God, he better not be about to ask her out. Or ask her to make out.

Kerry's shoulder's relaxed. She hadn't realized she had tensed with the notion he was going to ask her to have sex with him or something. There was going to be no sex going on in this apartment tonight. She wasn't having any. Ron wasn't having any. Nelle and Matt weren't going to get any either. The couple in the living room DEFINITELY weren't getting any, especially in her bed. There was nothing worse than throwing a party and then finding someone had gotten busy between your sheets. Wait, what did Ron ask again? Right, if he could leave. She answered, "No, of course not." She didn't even bother hiding her relief. He wasn't so bad, she decided. He was actually kind of polite when he wasn't staring at her chest. Maybe she hadn't given him a chance. Not that she wanted to, but she kind of felt like a witch for constantly thinking he was a moron. After all, no one could really compare to her idea of the ultimate guy, except for maybe the ultimate guy in the flesh.

Ron got up, practically knocking over a lamp in his rush to get to where the fun was. He paused in the doorway, raising his voice so she could hear him. "I figure we'll go to the movies tomorrow for our second date."

Never mind. He was still a moron.

Unfortunately, he left at the same time Nelle came into the room. She slumped into the chair Ron had just vacated. "I can't believe you're going out with him," she sighed, taking a sip of her large plastic glass of liquor enjoyment. "I thought you didn't like him. You were giving off these 'get me away from this loser' vibes all night."

"I'm not," Kerry replied, mimicking Nelle's slouched over position of elbows on knees and glass balanced between fingers. "He seems to assume I am."

Nelle nodded as if she understood what it was like to be going on a date you had been told about instead of asked to. "You'll just have to make out with someone else in front of him." She suggested.

That was easy for Nelle to say. She was far more outgoing than Kerry ever was. Plus, she was actually drinking. Instead of answering her friend, Kerry only sighed again. How did she get into situations like this? She wondered, feeling sorry for herself. The answer to her question sat beside her. Kerry tilted her head to the side lazily and narrowed her eyes at Nelle. "If I looked so desperate to get away from him, why did you invite him back for movie night?"

Nelle shrugged. "Torture. Sorry."

Kerry didn't really feel like getting angry. She was a lot more mellow since Michel's visit. Plus, it was Nelle's birthday bash.

"Thanks Ker," Nelle continued, staring at the bright pink cup between her fingers. "I know how much you hate partying." She raised her head and gave a crooked smile. "I didn't expect you to actually hold one here for me."

Kerry shrugged, grinning back at Nelle. "You're my best friend."

"Hug time!" Nelle exclaimed, placing her drink on the table between them and jumping to her feet.

"No," Kerry giggled, bulking as Nelle pulled on her arm.

"Come on. Everyone else gave me a birthday hug. I think you deserve getting the privilege of my boobs squished against you more than Ron does."

Kerry snorted, "Yeah, like that makes me wanna hug you." She got to her feet anyway, hugging Nelle tightly. She didn't know why she was getting all teary. Really. Nelle's birthday wasn't that big of a deal. After a moment or two of contact, they moved away from each other. Kerry sat back into the seat, getting ready for a long night of sitting in the room listening to the loud music and staring at the fridge.

"You know, no one will be leaving for a while," Nelle pointed out. "You can go watch a movie in your bedroom for a while."

Kerry raised an eyebrow.

"No, really. I'll come get you." Replying to the skeptical look on Kerry's face, she saluted with her glass. "I don't plan on getting drunk until way later."

"I dunno. The last party you had someone collapsed in the elevator." That was part of the problem. Kerry had to escort everyone off the premises to make sure they didn't bother any of the neighbors, get lost, or drown in their own vomit. It actually wasn't very pleasant.

"I promise, ok!" Nelle obviously was wishing she hadn't offered at all. "Come on." She gestured towards the door. "It's depressing to picture you sitting her for hours and hours and hours."

"Ok," Kerry conceded, getting to her feet and following Nelle out of the kitchen. As she was heading towards her bedroom, she heard someone pound on the door. The neighbours had all promised to contact them if the party got too loud or irritating, so Kerry dove for the door. She really didn't want to get kicked out of the apartment.

On the other side of the wood panel was a guy her age with glowing green hair practically cemented into spikes. "Are you holding a party?" He grinned at her, glancing behind her to the people gathered in the living room. A disco light glanced off the metal curls in his ears.

"I'm sorry if it's too loud. I'll turn the music down-"

She barely finished her apology before he waggled his fingers at her. "Don't you dare." Since his fingers were practically in her face anyway, he offered his hand. "I'm Nathaniel. Just moved in next door."

"Kerry," She shook his hand, surprised at how friendly and normal he was despite his appearance. She hated to think she generalized people by how they looked, but he wasn't making it easy on her with his ripped pants and sheer shirt. They stood in the doorway after he finished shaking her hand. He shifted uncomfortably. She might have echoed.

"Can I join?" He finally blurted out.

Kerry's eyes widened. She hadn't even thought to ask. Where were her manners. "Of course!" She opened the door wider, letting him in. "I'm sorry. I just don't really want to be here, so I didn't think anyone else would-"

Once again he interrupted her. "Don't worry about it cutie." He winked, moving by her and joining the fray.

Man. Sometimes she was just so useless. "Nathaniel!" She called out to him. He paused, turning his body half towards her. She moved up beside him. "Nelle is the one over by the TV in the white shirt and jeans. Just so you can save a minute or so trying to figure it out." She left him and headed towards her bedroom. If he could knock on a stranger's door and invite himself in, then he would be fine on his own. He was probably one of those people like Nelle who made friends easily where ever he went.

"Kerry!" Ron called from the party.

She dove towards her room, desperately grabbed the knob and maneuvering herself into the bedroom. She closed the door behind her, resting her head against the wood in relief. Close one.

"Avoiding Rob?" An amused voice asked from behind her.

Kerry gasped, turning around to face the interior of her room. Michel was sitting casually on her bed, one of her fluffy pink pillows propped between his back and the wall. His legs were stretched down her bed. He looked so comfortable in her habitat in his jeans and blue O'Neill t-shirt, that her heart beat picked up. Like always, he was gorgeous, and this time so conveniently placed on her bed.

Apparently when he said 'later' he meant it.

"Hi." She grinned, taking off her khaki nineteenth century-ish jacket and dropping it on the floor. She had barely noticed she was still wearing it, but it was suddenly incredibly warm in her room. It could be because if his hotness lounging at ease against her sheets.

Michel raised his eyebrow at the way she simply stripped off the layer. "Stopping already?" He asked, watching her closely. "Don't allow my presence to keep you from changing."

Kerry smirked at him. He was practically daring her to take off her clothes, not expecting her to listen to him. He was right. She was far too modest for her own good sometimes. She wasn't the type of girl who would tease a guy by just taking off her shirt. Kerry jumped on her bed next to his thighs, landing on her knees. They both bounced on the mattress for a second. He was still watching her carefully, as if judging what to do by her reactions. Suddenly, Kerry was feeling reckless and emboldened. Her heart beat accelerated, an obvious tell to what she was planning. Before she could change her mind, or he could say anything to stop her, she stripped off her shirt and threw it across the room, carefully watching for his reaction.

Michel's face was devoid of the typical human expressions he usually feigned. He simply looked at her flatly for a second before raising an eyebrow in appreciation – whether it was at her nerve or the amount of skin she was showing, she wasn't sure.

"I'm not," she bluffed. "Shall I continue?" She knew she was teasing him, but she couldn't help it. It was like she needed to get back at him for all the times tried to provoke her, both today and during that weekend years ago. She heart was pounding so wildly she could practically hear it, and though it was the only tell she was allowing to show how unnerved she was by her actions, it was the only one he probably cared about. She couldn't control her heart, after all.

"Kerry," Michel warned as she moved her hand down towards the button of her jeans. She paused, watching him through her eyelashes. "I'm not interested in having sex with you."

Kerry inhaled through her nose, shocked and insulted. Well, she hadn't exactly been offering! Yeah, she didn't exactly believe that either. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling foolish and shy. "Then what do you want?" She frowned, angry and confused. "You push me away, and yet keep showing up. You keep telling me that you're going to kill me, or screw me, or whatever, and then leave me looking over my shoulder for months!" She met his eyes, now more furious than anything. She was definitely yelling now. "Stop hunting me!"

"Stop haunting me!" He snapped back, his voice normal with a slight bite beneath.

His reply sapped away her anger enough to allow her to relax a bit. Their eyes were still locked in a stand-still. Kerry exhaled. She felt like apologizing to him. For yelling, not for haunting him. She wasn't really sorry about that – actually, she was kind of proud of it. "Sometimes, I just wish you would make up your mind," she said softly, turning her head to one side as she studied him. She was sick of not knowing whether she was about to die, or worse yet, never see him again.

Michel reached out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her down on top of him. He took her in his arms and ravaged her until she screamed. Not. In fact, his face looked rather angry. She only recognized the livid set of his jaw because she had seen it once before, in the same dark setting. Only this time, she could see the icy glint in his blue eyes and the way his nostrils flared. It was kind of hot (that being his eyes, not the nostril thing. That was actually kind of creepy). "I assure you." His voice sounded dangerous, as if the breath of air emerging with the words could cut her skin. "I've made up my mind."

She noticed he didn't say which way. "So what's up with this stalking thing? Moments of weakness?" She snorted. Michel didn't have moments of weakness, because if he did, then he wouldn't have successfully lived as a vampire for however long he had. Even a second of not being on top of his game was a potential instant he could die.

Instead of answering her, he brushed his fingers down the side of her forehead, curving along her high cheekbones, until they gently came to rest at the corner of her mouth. Kerry's heartbeat picked up again as he stared at her lips. She opened them, her body wanting to saying something before her mind had thought up the words. The urge to hear her own voice waned as the finger resting against the corner of her mouth slipped automatically between her open lips.

"Michel," she whispered, staring down the short distance between them. He had turned on one of her lamps while waiting for her to arrive and it was casting a dim glow to his perfect features. Her breath caressed his fingers as he lightly ran them over her open mouth. Kerry inadvertently licked her lips, flicking her tongue against his index finger. She wished he would kiss her. That was the next step, right? Well she wanted him to do it NOW. She was breathing a bit heavier than normal, and all he was doing was tracing her mouth with excruciating slowness.

Finally, about half a second later, she impatiently swiped away his hand and lowered her mouth on his. Her right hand was clinging to his covered shoulder. There was something to be said about being on top; being in control. The kiss was hot, tempting her to move closer to him. So she did, pressing her body on top of his. As they kissed, his fingers danced on her naked spine, sending shivers through her.

Kerry's hand slid down his chest and taut stomach, searching for the hem of his shirt. She needed to feel his cool body against her flushed skin. Her nails scraped against the material of his shirt, until she found the seam and slid her hands along the top of his jeans and over his stomach. Her fingers accidentally dipped into his navel, and he reacted by thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Oh, he liked that. She made a mental note. Of course, she did too.

She pushed her tongue back against his, not wanting it to just lie there like a lump of muscle as he explored her mouth. She was already breathing heavily, trying to suck as much air as she could through her nose. Michel broke the kiss, his damp lips hovering along her jaw. Kerry took the reprieve to try to regain her breath. Her chest was heaving and he took the opportunity to completely cup one of her tits and squeeze as he hissed, "are you trying to seduce me, Kerry," into her ear.

His fingers cupped the back of her head, drawing her towards him for another kiss before she could answer him.

The door flew open. Dance music which had been a muffled constant in the background suddenly poured into the room.

"Ron wants to leave," Nelle started to say, stepping into the room. She broke off her sentence as she caught sight of them in such a compromising position. "OHMIGOD!" Nelle screamed, pointing at the two of them with her mouth opened.

Ron stepped into the room behind her, obviously hoping he would get to see Kerry changing, or at least the inner sanctums of her bedroom. He got more than he expected. Michel narrowed his eyes threateningly, rapidly pulling a sheet over the two of them, as the moron stared at Kerry's half naked body. "You're cheating on me!" Ron wailed, finally figuring out what he was seeing. He rushed out of the room. Kerry wouldn't be surprised if he was crying.

"But… but…" Nelle's finger was still hovering in the air, moving back and forth between the couple on the bed. She was wincing, her face twisting in disgust. "He's your cousin!"

"No he's not!" Kerry quickly corrected, equally as traumatized by the idea. She could feel Michel's body beneath hers quake with suppressed laughter. "He's my…" She broke off. She still wasn't any clearer on what Michel was to her. He's my boyfriend? He might not like that. Lover? Not yet, anyway. And that was Nelle's fault. Vampire? Yeah. Right. "You told me to find someone to make out with," Kerry muttered defensively.

"I didn't mean a family member!" Apparently Nelle didn't believe Kerry's denial of kinship.

"I was handy." Michel broke into the conversation, waggling the fingers of the hand he had been touching her with.

"Eugh!" Nelle winced. "Imagery."

"You don't need imagery," Kerry pointed out. "We're still right here. And he isn't related to me. I swear."

"Mmhmm. Suuure," Nelle muttered. She winked. "I don't blame you, though. If he were my cousin I'd want to jump his bones too. Incest be damned."

"Thank you," Michel took it as a compliment. Kerry was slightly disturbed.

"Ok Nelle. You've had your amusement at my expense. Out." She pointed to the door as firmly and with as much dignity as she could without dislodging the blanket covering her. Once her friend left with a knowing smirk, Kerry rolled off Michel. "You too."

He didn't look very surprised. He quickly gave her a peck on the lips, pulled on his clothes, and left.

"Later?" She asked as he opened the door to her bedroom. The pounding music was giving her a headache. He paused, turning to stare at her impenetrably for a moment before slipping through the door. Her question was left unanswered. Kerry stared at the closed door for a long time after he left, willing him to come back, or for Nelle to have never interrupt them in the first place. Finally, she fell asleep holding the pillow he had been lounging against, imagining she could still smell him as she pressed her face against the cotton and didn't cry.

©RelenaFanel2006

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Remember. For the almost-sex go to my profile and click on the link to my Live Journal.

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	8. Ghosts

**Adversaries of the Light**

_Halloween_

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"Oucth," Kerry muttered as the strap on her shoe came off her foot again and she almost toppled over on the tiled floor. "Thith ith ridiculouth." She stuttered to Nelle, trying to form words around the fangs shoved haphazardly into her mouth.

"It's Halloween!" Nelle exclaimed, each step on her five-inch heels more bouncy than the last. Behind her, a long Satan tail bobbled with her every movement. Men were watching her with half-smiles as she strutted into the party in her clichéd costume. Nelle had declared this Halloween a year to let their inner demons out, and insisted that the two of them dress on the dark side. Kerry thought she just wanted an excuse to go as a she-devil. The devil, Nelle had replied to that, is probably female.

"Yippee," Kerry said, looking around the party. She saw Mario and Luigi, Bonnie and Clyde, Britney and whathisface… K-Fed. Great. It was a couples ball and she was here with Nelle. "Don't get me wong, I wuv Hawwowheen, but…"

"I can't understand you," Nelle said bluntly. "I'm going to go over there and see which of the Mario brothers is hotter out of overalls."

"Don't weave!" Kerry cried as Nelle took off in a flutter of red sequins. God, she thought in disgust, she couldn't see how Michel went all day talking around fangs. She couldn't even utter one coherent word. Admittedly, his weren't plastic, didn't need denture adhesive to stay in, weren't as large and unwieldy, and he had already gone through the adaption time, but still. "Thith Biteths," she said, taking the girl beside her off guard.

"Are you drunk already? That's soo kitsch." The blonde said with a flick of her hair as she walked away.

Kerry barred her fangs at her, slightly mollified because she had always wanted to do that. She had taken Nelle's idea of letting her inner demons out a bit farther than her friend had meant it, displaying for one day that her greatest sacrifice had been letting go of the dream of immortality. She faced her decision every morning in the mirror as her youthful skin started to crinkle a bit around the eyes and she reached the age she estimated Michel to be and then passed it by a year or two. Her inner demon was regret, sometimes.

Looking around, Kerry realized that no one was paying attention to her. The people wearing original costumes were getting the cheesy thumbs up and quick grins but the girl standing sullenly in the corner wearing a vampire outfit? No such luck. Thinking herself fortunate, she moved her cape in a dramatic flair over the bottom half of her face. She peered out through her heavily mascarad lashes, watching the room as she covertly took the fangs out of her mouth. They came out in a string of drool, and her eyes narrowed in disgust, then shifted side-to-side as she wondered where she could hide them.

There wasn't really anywhere she could put them if she wanted to wear them later. Usually, in times like this she just stuck things down her shirt, but she didn't really relish the idea of putting something in her mouth after it had time to collect boob sweat. Finally, she conceded to the fact she'd be lisping all evening and stuck them back in her shirt.

"Hi there," a loney guy said, sidling up to her. She had a slight moment of panic when she thought it was Ron again. Fortunately, it turned out to be a guy who just looked like Ron, acted like Ron, but was not Ron. He was like a… Ron clone.

"Uh…" Kerry hedged, wondering if it was rude to just run away.

"I'm Dracula," he proclaimed, somehow talking out of his fangs as if they were normal teeth. She bet he was one of those RPGers who constantly dressed up as their character.

"Right."

"I see you too are a vampyr. Would you like to join my harem?"

"No!" Then, in an act of stupidity to prove she knew more about vampires than he could ever dream, she said, "and ith's called a kith."

"What? You want a kiss?"

"Ew! No! You freak. You wouldn't know a real vampire if one stepped on your foot!" In her anger, she somehow managed to speak normally. Score one for fury.

"I'm the freak? Lemme tell you something sistah. Vampires? They ain't real."

Kerry wasn't sure what persona he was trying to be now, but if anything it was less real than the vampire one. She was about to attempt to nudge away from him, not ready to deal with another clingy male, when he gathered his cape around him and tried to stalk back into the congregated crowd with a predatory prowl. Tried being the operative word in that sentence.

"Loser," Kerry coughed, wondering what it was with people that they kept walking away from her in a flamboyant fashion. She sucked on her teeth a bit, trying to get them to sit right in her mouth. If Michel was here, she knew what he'd say.

"You look like an idiot."

Yeah, that was pretty much it word for word.

"So do you," Kerry responded, raising an eyebrow as she took in his C'ptain Jack Sparrow costume. Where her vampire one was so out of fashion it was in fashion again, his was just overdone. Actually, truth be told, the more she looked at him out of the corner of her eye the more she realized he looked more like a beefcake than he did an idiot.

"No I don't," he argued with her. "Everyone loves Jack."

"I know I do," she said, her traitorous heart beat quickening. It was the first time since _that time_ that she had hinted at loving him.

"You know," he stated conversationally, his blue eyes enhanced by rims of black eyeliner and mascara in true Depp fashion. It made the pit of her stomach wonky just looking at him, as though. Michel continued, "If you really want a pair of fangs inside you…" he trailed off, letting her infer his meaning as he raised his eyebrows up and down lecherously.

Kerry laughed, quickly pressing the palm of her hand against her mouth as the fake plastic teeth threatened to fall out. "Oh, don't worry. I know who to ask," she promised. When she was done chuckling, she still wasn't able to completely get rid of the goofy grin across her lips. The shells, feathers, and coin braided into his hair helped to keep her in a good mood. "Your real hair?"

"It's occasionally useful." He told her, his hands flicking, plucking at his flowing white shirt. "Why don't you play Elizabeth to my Jack and give us a kiss."

Kerry smiled, shaking her head. "You'll have to try better than that."

"Well then, how about you take those fangs out first, and spare us both the necessity of me looking at you with scorn when they fall out."

"You're already looking at me with scorn. I dress up as a vampire, you don't understand why."

"So you'd feel closer to me, I imagine."

It was frightening how accurate he was, and how much she still wanted to deny it. "Probably."

"Come on, Luv," he slurred dramatically, grabbing her arm. "I've always wondered what you'd be like with fangs."

Kerry's stomach dropped.

"Kerry? If you're done talking to yourself, we're leaving." Nelle said, suddenly appearing where Michel had been standing.

Kerry jerked into focus, coming out of the conversation going on in her head. "You finally figure out that Mario was really Maria?" she ribbed.

"Shut up. At least I wasn't acting all loonie and talking to myself."

"I was talking to a ghost."

* * *

©RelenaFanel.Oct31.2006

Happy Halloween. Completely unedited, as I just came up with this as I was trying to keep my fangs in my mouth.


	9. You Can Bank On It

**_Adversaries of the Light_**

_Chapter 8: You Can Bank On It._

Kerry left the bank with a dead expression on her face as she tried to school her features into an appearance of nonchalance. In her fingers she angrily fisted the small receipt, and then hastily stuffed it into her bag so she wouldn't have to touch it anymore. It didn't matter, for the account balance was still seared onto her retinas, making it impossible for her to see anything but the bottom line. The cute guy who held the door open for her with a smile? Not there. The older lady she almost bumped into? More than invisible. No, all Kerry saw was a set of three numbers, the order almost reversed from what she expected to have in her account.

She had $308 to last her until her student loan came in, and the rent was due in less than a week. She still hadn't purchased all of her class textbooks, and the harddrive on her computer had inexplicably died on her the other day. The only way it could be worse is if she had been further along in the term and lost a few ongoing class assignments with it.

Not having a computer she could put up with; losing the three essays she was consecutively working on, she couldn't.

She trudged home, seeing her life as an abysmal failure. She would have to call her father and ask him to transfer funds into her account, and the silence of his disapproval would be heavy over the phone. On second thought, she realized, turning abruptly on her heel, she didn't want to go back to her apartment. Instead, she took the proactive approach and walked to the student accounts building on campus, hoping she could arrange something.

"Hi," Kerry said with an active smile as she stepped up to the desk. "I'm worried my student loan won't come in on time, and I was wondering if there was any way you could check the-"

"I'm sorry," the woman said in polite tones, her smile slightly tired from having to repeat the same answer to every neurotic student who worried too much about a process they couldn't control. "We can't access that information. The best I can do is extend the due date of your tuition. Name and student number?"

Kerry gave her the information dully, knowing that an extended date of money owed wouldn't help her rent situation.

"Oh!" The lady exclaimed in surprise. "Your tuition is already paid in full."

"What?" Kerry asked, jarred out of her melancholy funk. "My loan came in?" This was the best news she had all day.

"No," the woman said after a click of keys on her ergomatic keyboard. "I have no record of that. It was paid by an online transaction using a credit card."

"Strange," Kerry mused, distracted for the first time in an hour from the fact she'd have to call home for money. She knew her father couldn't have paid it, as she felt guilty enough for bumming a few hundred that he couldn't really afford to give her, let alone the cost of autumn tuition. "I hate to bring this up, but are you sure this isn't a mistake?"

"They were logged right into your account. Maybe a parent or a…"

"Does the card have a name?" Kerry asked, a curious suspicion beginning to dawn on her. She only knew one person who could, perhaps, afford to spend thousands of dollars on her education without a second thought. It worried her, though, what he could possibly want in return.

"I can't access that information."

"Well, how about a time of transaction?"

The woman paused to look at her skeptically. "A little before ten o'clock last night."

Kerry seethed. Who did he think he was? She thanked the lady for being so helpful, and then stalked home, her fury mounting with each step. Once she was in her apartment, she slammed the door behind her, locking the door with a decisive click. It took her seconds to reach for the phone, but instead of dialing her father like she had been dreading, she entered a number she had stored in her memory but never really used.

"Who do you think you are," she blurted out on the answering machine. "I can't just be BOUGHT for a few thousand dollars. You're such an egotistical ass." Kerry paused. "But thank you."

She hung up, grasping the phone tightly in her fist. Moments later, it rang in her hand. With a confused glance at the sun shining through her window, she answered.

"Kerry! I've been trying to reach you all morning!"

"Hi mom," Kerry said, unenthused. She and her mother didn't exactly have a close relationship, even if they were on talking terms now.

"I wanted to tell you that I paid your tuition last night, so you don't have to worry about it. Use your loan to buy yourself some nice clothing or a new compu…"

"That was YOU," Kerry interrupted, eyes widening as the urge to curse herself for jumping to conclusions spread through her. It was buried under the embarrassment. Deeply under.

"Of course it was me, who else?"

"No one," Kerry responded sullenly. "I just didn't even consider you."

"Why not? I'm your mother!"

"Yeah. Right mom." Realizing how ungrateful she sounded, Kerry continued. "Thanks for the money. My computer died the other day, so I really appreciate it, but I've got to go right now. I'll see you at Thanksgiving."

This time she hung up feeling wretched. It was difficult enough to speak to her mother during her irregular phone calls, but while horrified by her own impulsive actions it was impossible. The guilt lasted mere moments as she began to obsess about whether she should call Michel back and apologize. Maybe she could find someone who could hack his voice mail before sundown for $308.

Finally, she reached the hopeful conclusion that maybe since she hadn't left her name, he wouldn't know it was her. Kind of like the situation where she didn't even consider her mother to be her mysterious benefactor. It was depressing, but it was all she had. Otherwise, she thought she might have to move out of country so she wouldn't have to face him.

When he didn't call her back that night, she was convinced she was in the clear.

.xXx.

A week later, her loan finally came in and Kerry found herself with more money than she really knew what to do with. She bought a new hard-drive first, and then put the excess in a savings account for some later emergency. She always had been good with budgeting. On that particular evening, she was walking out of the movie theatre with her friends, surprised at the relative lack of diversity between movie lighting and the evening light on a busy street. If anything, she could see better outside.

That was probably how she spotted him before he saw her. She didn't know how he knew her exact location, but as her eyes focused on his face, Kerry stopped dead. Her friends noticed, jeering her into going to introduce herself to the hottie. To their surprise, she stepped forward, crossing the street to reach him where he stood in the doorway of a closed boutique across the street. His eyes locked with hers the moment she moved towards him, and it was only through good fortune that she wasn't hit by a car.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in low tones as he drew her deeper into the shadows.

"Curiosity, ironically enough," he answered, pulling his phone from his pocket. "I tried to ignore it, but I found that I need to know the reason for the interesting message you left me."

"Oh god," Kerry exclaimed, taking a step away from him with all the blood from her heart rushing to her face. "I'd forgotten about that."

He waited for her to continue with a self-sure smirk on his lips. She obliged him in a hurry frenzy of words, trying to expel her own awkwardness.

"Someone paid off my tuition, and I didn't know anyone who had that kind of money. Finally I thought of you, even as impossible as it sounds, and then I started to think."

"Always dangerous," he smiled.

"Anyway, I jumped to conclusions, and I'm sorry. I thought you'd just ignore it, not travel through four states to visit me."

He looked slightly taken back. "How do you know where I am?"

"Please," she said. "My mother is a private investigator. She has access to programs I couldn't even explain to you."

"I see you've reconciled with her," he said, "but obviously not enough to put her motivation to drop thousands of dollars on you over mine."

Kerry flashed hot again. "I'm sorry! I don't even want to know how you knew that, but it's not my fault that I don't trust her yet."

"You trust me?" He rocked back on his heel.

"No!" Kerry said hotly. "I mean, maybe. I mean not really. I don't know what I mean. I guess if I completely trusted you, I wouldn't have left an angry voice message."

Michel grinned, amused by her flustered answer. "About that. I'll buy you an ice cream if we can talk about exactly how much it would take to buy you."

©RelenaFanel.Sept22.2007

A/N: I wish I had some hot vampire who would exchange the price of tuition for sexual favours and/or blood.


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